Group exercise improves quality of life and reduces stress far more than individual work outs, a study has found.

Researchers tracked a group of people who did group exercise such as gym classes or team sports who recorded a 26% reduction in stress and improved mental, physical and emotional quality of life.

The group who exercised individually put in more effort but experienced no significant changes in their stress level and a limited improvement to quality of life, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Lead researcher Dr Dayna Yorks, of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, said: “The communal benefits of coming together with friends and colleagues, and doing something difficult, while encouraging one another, pays dividends beyond exercising alone.”

Researchers recruited 69 medical students - a group known for high levels of stress and self-reported low quality of life - who were put on a 12 week exercise programme.

Group exercise also improves quality of life, according to research (Image: Getty)

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A separate control group abstained from exercise other than walking or biking as a means of transportation.

Those participating in group exercise spent 30 minutes at least once a week in core strengthening and functional fitness training program.

At the end of the twelve weeks, their mean monthly survey scores showed significant improvements in all three quality of life measures: mental (13%), physical (25%) and emotional (26%). They also reported a 26% reduction in perceived stress levels.

We're better together when it comes to working out (Image: Getty)

The individual fitness participants were allowed to maintain any exercise regimen they preferred, which could include activities like running and weight lifting, but they had to work out alone or with no more than two partners.

On average lone exercisers worked out twice as long, and saw no significant changes in any measure, except in mental quality of life (11%). Similarly no exercise the control group saw no significant changes in quality of life or perceived stress.

Dr Yorks added: “The findings support the concept of a mental, physical and emotional approach to health that is necessary for student doctors and physicians.

Lone exercisers tend to work out for longer but don't see significant changes (Image: Getty)